Women In Technology

“The Kauffman Foundation estimates that women have formed only three per cent of all tech start-ups.”She Started It

A couple weeks ago I ran across an inspiring trailer for a new documentary, “She Started It,” and I just had to write about it. I know it’s a little outside my normal topics, but it involves women tech entrepreneurs and I’m running this in lieu of my regular Women Code Hero of the Month column. Read on … I swear it’s worth it!

It’s been a while since my last post, and I have to say that I’ve been in a bit of Dreamforce withdrawal for the past month and a bit. That and catching up with the work that actually pays the bills (love ya ETR!).

For most of my career, I’ve been a tech worker in nonprofits. I’ve worked mostly within majority-women workplaces. That means that I’ve seen more women in leadership and technology-related roles than is the norm in corporate America.

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I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the importance of community when you’re trying something new. I’ve always felt a little alone at work. Not that people weren’t welcoming—they certainly were. I work with some truly awesome, passionate, smart, talented and just plain nice people. The problem for me is that none of them do technology work. For them, there’s generally someone to brainstorm with, to collaborate with on a project, and to bounce ideas off. Not so much for me.

“We know how lack of diversity can adversely affect a business. This is how lack of workplace diversity has adversely affected me”–Erica Joy

I just read “The Other Side of Diversity” on Medium by Erica Joy, and recommend you do too. It’s about her experience as a black woman in tech workplaces, and it gave me some chills. As a gay woman in tech I related to what she was saying. I haven’t felt it as directly as she has, but it’s certainly there. (I’m just noticing that I almost didn’t put the word “gay” in, because I didn’t want to alienate people. I didn’t want to appear to “other” or confrontational. How sad is that!)